The "Old Black Rock Harbor" mural at the Williamstown Art Conservations Center in Massachusetts. A $10,000 gift from Bank of America will help restore the mural, which hung at a Fairfield bank branch until last year, when the building underwent a renovation.

The "Old Black Rock Harbor" mural at the Williamstown Art Conservations Center in Massachusetts. A $10,000 gift from Bank of America will help restore the mural, which hung at a Fairfield bank branch until last

The "Old Black Rock Harbor" mural at the Williamstown Art Conservations Center in Massachusetts. A $10,000 gift from Bank of America will help restore the mural, which hung at a Fairfield bank branch until last year, when the building underwent a renovation.

The "Old Black Rock Harbor" mural at the Williamstown Art Conservations Center in Massachusetts. A $10,000 gift from Bank of America will help restore the mural, which hung at a Fairfield bank branch until last

A $10,000 gift from Bank of America will match private donations to help fund the restoration of a large-scale piece of local artwork, the Fairfield Museum recently announced. The 8 by 20-foot mural, titled “Old Black Rock Harbor” has hung in the bank for nearly 70 years.

Renowned Connecticut muralist Robert Lambdin was commissioned by the Black Rock Bank & Trust Co. in 1948 to create the mural, which hung in the bank at the corner of Fairfield Avenue and Brewster Street until last year, when the long-abandoned building underwent a complete renovation. The Fairfield Museum worked with the building’s new owner Tom Quinn to rescue the mural, which had been damaged through years of neglect. Now Bank of America is the lead sponsor in its restoration.

The restoration of “Old Black Rock Harbor” is being conducted by the Williamstown Art Conservation Center in Massachusetts, one of the top art conservation labs in the country. To date, $25,000 of the $30,000 cost of restoration has been raised through Bank of America, as well as the Black Rock Community Council, Bruce and Michele Hubler, and Jack and Kay Collins.

Lambdin, of Westport, spent two months researching Black Rock’s history at the Fairfield Historical Society (now the Fairfield Museum) and then three months working on the piece. It depicts Black Rock Harbor as he envisioned it in the early 1800s, with a ship unloading its cargo onto the docks and Black Rock lighthouse in the background.

“We hope to raise the final funds in time to unveil the restored mural as part of Black Rock’s 375th anniversary celebration in 2019,” Fairfield Museum executive director Michael Jehle said.

Wine tasting fundraiser to benefit Caroline House

Join Caroline House for a wine tasting fundraiser event on Nov. 16 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Penfield Pavilion, 323 Fairfield Beach Road.

Enjoy a wide variety of wines and hors d’oeuvres. Live music and auctions will be part of this evening. Proceeds from the evening and a percentage of all wine orders placed that evening will benefit Caroline House, a literacy education center in Bridgeport. Sponsors includes New Canaan Wine Merchants and A Dash of Salt Catering.

Tickets are $40 each and available at www.thecarolinehouse.org. This fundraiser event is open to the public but must be 21 years or older to attend. Business and individuals interested in sponsorship contact Christine Paine at cpaine@thecarolinehouse.org.

Resident receives alumni award

Richard Clarida, of Fairfield, along, along with six other recipients, has recently been awarded the LAS Alumni Achievement Award at the University of Illinois, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1979.

Clarida developed models to predict how the economy reacts when it is hit by shocks. The model he created with several co-authors has been picked up by virtually every central bank in the world.

Clarida has most recently been confirmed as vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This achievement is really remarkable and we'd love to see coverage about in the Fairfield Citizen.

Notre Dame Fairfield begins 26 Acts of Kindness campaign

Notre Dame High School in Fairfield has begun its annual 26 Acts of Kindness campaign. Begun in the days following the tragedy in Sandy Hook in 2012, the campaign designates one act of kindness each school day over a six-week period while remembering the lives lost in Newtown.

Acts include simple ways to show kindness such as “Say Good Morning,” “Be Kind to the Environment Day,” “Embrace Your Mistake Day,” and “Be Positive Day.” The campaign also includes a series of collections to benefit those in need in the local community. Items collected include blankets/sleeping bags, diapers, new socks, toiletries, children’s books, canned goods and pet food.

The Notre Dame community also completes three letter-writing campaigns during 26 Acts, including “Thank a Soldier,” “Thank a First Responder,” and “Thank a Teacher.” Letters are then mailed by the school to the designated recipients.

Principal Chris Cipriano, who started the campaign with the support of staff and students in 2012, said, “Our goal is to spread kindness one act at a time. The belief is that what we do during these 26 days will last well beyond. Our world certainly needs as much goodness and kindness as it can get these days.”